Straight bar knitting machines



Jan- 18, 1966 G. s. WooDcocK ETAL 3,229,483

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17 1965 erf E Jan. 18, 1966 G. s, wooDcocK ETAL 3,229,483

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING' MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1963 Franc/4 United States Patent O 3,229,483 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTENG MACIHNES George S. Woodcock, Herbert E. Woodcock, Francis Simpson, and William Clayton, Hawick, Scotland, assignors to William Cotton Limited Filed .lune 17, 1963, Ser. No. 288,428 1S Claims. (Cl. 66-102) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines and primarily underwear and outerwear machines or pant frames required to produce tuck patterned fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide tuck pattern control means in a straight bar knitting machine which are comparatively simple and yet eifective and by which any desired tuck pattern may be produced in fabric, and the fabric may have satisfactory selvedges, bearing in mind that tucking is not usually satisfactory on end selvedge needles as it causes a tendency to laddering at the selvedges.

The invention provides a straight bar knitting machine of the type having vertical bearded needles and horizontal sinkers in a sinker bar, and having pattern control means wherein `patterning mechanism comprises independently operable presser elements having portions slidably mounted between successive Sinkers for pressing and mis-pressing of the needle beards by presser edges of the presser elements, and a pattern device mounted for opertable association with the presser elements and having a predetermined arrangement of pattern bits for control of the presser elements to cause the presser and allow mispressing of the needle beards accordingto predetermined requirements, and also having the patterning mechanism adapted by suitable means associated with predetermined presser elements to cause pressing only, i.e. without allowing mis-pressing, of the beards of their associated needles. Conveniently the presser elements are in the form f sliders having portions slidably mounted in a part of the machines sinker head. Conveniently also the pattern device is a rotatably displaceable pattern drum having different arrangements of pattern bits.

More specifically the pattern drum causes, through its control of the presser elements, different selections of the needles not to knit while the remainder knit, and the control means consists of plate members which are adapted to prevent the diferent selections of needles at the selvedges by acting on spaced groups of the associated presser elements to dispose them in beard-pressing position thereby blufling out control by the pattern drum at the selvedges. The pressing and mis-pressing of needle beards produces tuck stitches and said suitable means is associated with the presser elements at the selvedges thereby to avoid tuck stitches being produced on the selvedge needles.

The presser elements may be blade-like members having a thickened forward portion forming a presser edge at normal presser height, a thickened rearward butted portion providing three butt locations for engagement respectively by the selecting pattern bits, the plates members, and the return cam, and a recess for clear operation of the machines catch bar.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described as a specific embodiment with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification in which:

FIGURE l is a cross sectional view of relevant parts of a straight bar knitting machine showing tuck pattern control means according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a more general cross sectional view through the machine..

3,229,483 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 FIGURE 3 is a detail perspective View showing control of presser elements.

FIGURE 4 is a detail perspective showing formation of the fabric.

Referring now to the drawings the straight bar knitting machine is of the type having vertical bearded needles N, operated by usual mechanism indicated generally at NOM; horizontal sinkers S, a sinker head comprising a sinker bar SB and -sinker cap SC, a catch bar CB, a slurcock SL, and knocking over bits KO.

The machine also has patterning mechanism comprising independently operable presser elements 1 extending substantially parallel with and between the sinkers S and adjacent dividing sinkers. Each presser element 1 is of blade-like form about twice the length of a sinker and has a forward portion 1a guided in a tricked part of the sinker head. At the leading end of the forward portion la of the presser element 1 there is provided a downwardly cranked nose 1b of increased thickness and presening a presser edge 1c to the needles N at the normal presser height. An intermediate portion 1d is recessed at its upper edge to provide for clear operation of the catch bar CB. The rear portion le of the pressure element terminates at its rear end in an inverted T shaped thickened portion lf which presents one butt 1g rearwardly to a pattern device 2, a second butt lh to control means 3, and a forwardly directed butt it' to a cam bit 4 on the slurcock SL.

The pattern device 2 conveniently consists of a pattern drum indicated at 2a with pattern bits 2b for engagement with the presser element butts lg and with the control device 3. The pattern drum 2a is mounted on a shaft 2c which is supported by supporting arms 2d.

The pattern drum 2a is rotatably displaceable to present different arrangements of pattern bits 2b to the presser elements l and control means 3 and is bodily displaceable substantially horizontally to displace the presser elements l against the needles N.

The pattern drum 2a is releasably held in its forward bodily displaced position by an oscillatable abutment cam 5 which is mounted on an oscillatable shaft 6 and is oscillated by suitable means such as a cam C through the intermediary of arms 7, a truck lever 7a, and a link 7b.

The bodily displacement of the pattern drum 2a may be eiected by a cam C1 on the main shaft MS of the machine through the intermediary of a truck lever 2e or by the abutment cam 5 as desired.

The pattern means 3 conveniently consists of a pair of plate members 3a each having a width at least equal to the width of individual groups of fashioning points employed in the machine. Each of these plate members 3a is carried by its own arm 3b, 3c from its own spindle 3e, 5f and they are normally positioned near the respective selvedges. The plate members 3a are displaceably adjustable along the line between the rear of the presser elements l and the pattern drum 2a for which purpose they may be suitably connected to the stop nuts of adjustable lead screw and stop nut mechanism for selvedge stops and thread carriers, or to other suitable adjusting means.

In operation the pattern drum 2a is operated for each course, or in a desired course sequence, whereby for each of these courses the drum (a) advances some of the presser elements (1A FIGURE 4) intro such forward position that they press the beards of their associated needles and (b) leaves the remaining presser elements 1B in rear position with their needle beards remaining open, i.e. mis-pressed, the necessary selection between the presser elements being made by the pattern arrangement of the bits on the pattern drum 2a. Those needles 1N which have their beards pressed cast-off old loops OL over new yarn NY in normal manner (although the Yold loops may have previously formed tuck stitches TSA with them) to form plain knitted stitches, and the remaining needles 2N which do not have their beards pressed do not therefore cast-off their old loops OLB but instead retain them together with the new yarn NY until the next course thereby to form tuck stitches TSB. Accordingly the machine is capable of producing tuck stitches to any required pattern.

At the selvedges, tucking is prevented to avoid unsatisfactory selvedges by ensuring that the presser elements associated with the selvedge needles are prevented from causing a selection of the needles at the selvedges, and instead are caused only to press the selvedge needle beards, i.e. without allowing them to mis-press. This is accomplished by the plate members 3a which are adjusted to be disposed between the presser elements associated with the selvedge needles SN and the adjacent pattern bits 2b of the pattern drum 2a, it being understood that the pattern arrangement of the pattern bits 2b is such that in every course, one of the bits engages each plate member 3a to effect the desired advance of the selvedge presser elements 1 whereby the latter close their -associated selvedge needle beards and the selvedge needles SN consequently produce normal plain stitches at the selvedges.

The plate members 3a may be adjusted to act on a group of the presser elements at each selvedge, and conveniently Va group whereof the number of presser elements is substantially equal to the number of fashioning points in individual groups of fashioning points: by this means groups of an equivalent number of needles adjacent the selvedges being those actually transferred in fashioning, al1 produce plain stitches without tucking.

Further adjustment may be effected of the plate members 3a to any location along a course where it is desired to bluff the pattern drum 2a to prevent tucking at said locations.

It will be understood that operation of the slurcock SL results in the cam 4 acting on the butts 1a to return the presser elements 1 after each selection, and that this return motion is conveniently in synchronsm with return of the pattern cam 5.

The provision of the blade-like presser elements 1 between the sinkers S and dividing sinkers constitutes a simple and yet effective means of tucking, and the provision of the pattern device 2 acting on the rear end of the presser elements 1 h-as the advantage of pressing forces on the presser elements and needles being applied substantially longitudinal of the presser elements; furthermore the abutment cam 5 avoids undue strain being imposed on the pattern device by back pressure from the needles, and the plate members 3a ensure the production of satisfactory selvedges and enable variations to be made in the tuck pattern.

What we claim is:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of knitting needles; presser means for displacing said needles between a pressed position and a mis-pressed position; patterning means cooperating with said presser means for selectively causing pressing and mis-pressing of predetermined ones of said needles; and blufling means cooperating with said presser means and said patterning means for preventing mis-pressing of selected ones of said needles at a predetermined stage |of the knitting operation.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of knitting needles; presser means for displacing said needles between a pressed position and a mis-pressed position; rst patterning means cooperating with said presser means and having a rst set of patterning portions for causing pressing of some of said needles, and second set of patterning positions arranged to cause mis-pressing of others of said needles; and second patterning means cooperating with said presser means and said rst patterning means for preventing contact 'of said presser means with one of said sets yof patterningportion's so as to' cause said pressing means to be acted upon only by the other of said sets of patterning portions during a predetermined stage of the knitting operation.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a plurality of knitting needles; presser means for displacing said needles between a pressed position and a mis-pressed position; a plurality of first patterning elements and a plurality of second patterning elements, the elements of both pluralities cooperating with said presser means, the elements 4of said rst plurality causing pressing of predetermined ones of said needles and the elements of said second plurality causing mis-pressing of predetermined ones of said needles; and at least one third patterning element arranged adjacent the other elements and said presser means for preventing contact of said presser means with the elements of said irst plurality of presser elements, so as to cause selected ones of said needles to be displaced into said pressed position during a predetermined stage 'of the knitting operation.

4. A straight bar kitting machine having, in combination, a r-ow of vertical bearded needles; .a sinker bar; horizontal sinkers in the sinker bar; patterning mechanism comprising independently operable presser elements, portions of said elements being slidably mounted between successive sinkers; presser elements having presser edges for pressing and mis-pressing of the needle beards; a pattern device cooperating with said presser elements; a predetermined arrangement of pattern bits on said pattern device for control of the presser elements so as to cause pressing of predetermined ones of said needile beards in accordance with said arrangement of said pattern bits while permitting mis-pressing of non-selected needle beards; and blufng means acting on predetermined ones o-f said presser elements so as to dispose them in beard pressing position whereby to cause only pressing ,of the beards of the needles associated with said predetermined presser elements.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said presser elements are sliders, and wherein portions of said sliders are slidably mounted in said sinker bar.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pattern device comprises a rotatable pattern drum.

7. A straight bar knitting machine comprising, in combination, a row of vertical bearded needles; a sinker bar; horizontal sinkers in said sinker bar; a patterning mechanism comprising independently operable presser elements having portions thereof slidably mounted between successive sinkers and having presser edges for pressing and mis-pressing of the needle beards; a rotatable pattern drum cooperating with said presser elements; pattern bits on said pattern drum and adapted to be arranged in different predetermined arrangements for control of the presser elements whereby to prevent selected ones of said needles from knitting; and plate members acting on spaced groups of the presser elements in dependence upon different selections of needles occurring at the selvedges to dispose these elements in beard pressing position, thereby blufng out control by the pattern drum at the selvedges.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, having operatin means for controlling the pattern drum and thereby the presser elements, whereby the pressing and mis-pressing of needle bears produces tuck stitches, and further having control means for said plate members for causing the latter to avoid tuck stitches to be produced on the selvedge needles.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 7, having groups of loop transfer points for fashioning; selvedge stops for oppositely adjusting the transfer points; and wherein the plate members are at least equal in width to the width of the groups of loop transfer points and oppositely adjustable with said selvedge stops so that at least the transferred groups of Wales are of plain stitches.

10. A straight bar knitting machine comprising, in combination, a row of vertical bearded needles; a sinker bar; horizontal sinkers in said sinker bar; independently operable presser elements having portions slidably mounted between successive ones of said sinkers and being formed with presser edges for pressing and mis-pressing of the needle beards; a rotatably displacebale pattern drum mounted for substantially linear movement for operating the presser elements; pattern bits positioned on said drum in a predetermined pattern for control of the presser elements to cause pressing and allow mid-pressing of the needle beards according to predetermined requirements; and spaced plate members associated with spaced groups of presser elements for causing only pressing without allowing mis-pressing of the beards of their associated needles.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10, having an abutment cam cooperating with said drum and being displaceable between an inoperative position allowing rotary movement of the pattern drum and an operative position cammingly engaging the pattern drum for preventing linear movement thereof, thereby relieving the drum of strain.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 having cam-operated means for effecting said linear displacement of the pattern drum.

13. A straight bar knitting machine comprising, in combination, a row of vertical bearded needles; a sinker bar; slurcocks for advancing the sinkers in the sinker bar; a catch bar for retracting the sinkers; patterning mechanism comprising independently advanceable and retractable presser elements having portions slidably mounted between successive sinkers and being formed with presser edges for pressing and mis-pressing of the needle beards; a rotatably displaceable pattern drum mounted for substantially linear displacement; pattern bits on said drum and arranged to form dierent patterns for control of the presser elements whereby to cause only predetermined ones of said needles to knit in dependence upon the pattern of said pattern bits; an abutment cam displaceable between an inoperative position allowing rotary movement of the pattern drum and an operative position cammingly engaging the pattern drum for preventing linear movement thereof and thereby relieving the drum ot undue strain; and plate members acting on spaced predetermined groups of presser elements so as to dispose the same: in beard pressing position and prevent dilerent selections of needles occurring at the selvedges, thereby blung out control by the pattern drum at the selvedges.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 13, having a return cam for return of advanced presser elements, said return cam travelling with said slurcocks and acting on the presser elements in synchronism with release of the abutment cam from its camming engagement with said drum.

15. A machine as claimed in claim 14, having bladelike members constituting the presser elements, thickened forward portions of said blade-like members forming respective presser edges at normal presser height, a thickened rearward butted portion of each of said members providing three butt locations for engagement, respectively, by 4the pattern bits, the plate members, and the return cam, and a recess for clear operation ofthe machine catch bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,007 11/1930 Le Gorre 66-102 X 1,950,185 3/1934 Lieberknecht 66-82 FOREIGN PATENTS 896,518 5/1962 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A KNITTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF KNITTING NEEDLES; PRESSER MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID NEEDLES BETWEEN A PRESSED POSITION AND A MIS-PRESSED POSITION; PATTERNING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID PRESSER MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CAUSING PRESSING AND MIS-PRESSING OF PREDETERMINED ONES OF SAID NEEDLES; AND BLUFFING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID PRESSER MEANS AND SAID PATTERNING MEANS FOR PREVENTING MIS-PRESSING OF SELECTED ONES OF SAID NEEDLES AT A PREDETERMINED STAGE OF THE KNITTING OPERATION. 